..what more can I want....
a plague that wipes out harlequin bugs, cabbage butterflies.. shall I go on? But I'm afraid it couldn't be such a specific plague, so I'm not actually wanting it.

I'm going to cover my nice radicchio with a styro cooler. The mustards are 'melted'..

I have some lettuce, kale, and basil sprouts under the lights

A plague, are you serious?
Luckily I don't have any of that problem here. I don't even see any aphids yet.

I've been through several bad bug plagues the last few years. Could sure stand a lot less of them. Specially the bugs that attack my tomatoes. Most of my lettuce is melted. If it wasn't raining I would get out there and harvest what I could. At least it isn't snow!

I picked some Japanese mustard greens for lunch, I noticed the arugula plants in this bed need to be pulled up soon, when it stops raining, I need to do that.

I just ordered more seeds from Victoria Seeds, their prices are very reasonable. I took advantage of ordering more Japanese Mustard Spinach and added a bunch of other seeds, I almost added cardoon, I used to grow them in the Bay Area, but I backed out the last minute, I don't have space here.

Would you northern folk please recall this white stuff that's falling down here?????

Thank you!
A shivering southerner

It must be your imagination, Ed - the sun is shining here !

Or, just think about all the "bad bugs" that are suffering under that snow - that should make you feel better

That is one BIG consolation when it's really cold and crummy here! Bug death! Also I think snow layer really helps break down fallen tree leaves.

The emergency alert system just came on saying they're calling out *all* National Guard members and the reserve!!! By this photo you can easily see why!!!!!!

Stay safe, Ed!

If it had been colder here, air temp and ground temp, we would have at least 4 to 6" of snow on the ground, because it snowed hard from 10:00 am yesterday until at least 8:00 pm with very few breaks. Large flakes at times that looked like feathers. Really pretty, but melted almost as soon as it hit the ground.
I don't think there is any scientific evidence to support the theory that cold weather/snow kills bugs. If that were the case we shouldn't have had any bugs here at all last summer considering the fact that we had 15+ inches of snow on the ground for a week in February, plus temps at freezing or below, and sometimes very much below, for all that week. The bugs were as bad as I've ever seen them last summer, specially bugs that eat my plants.

Weedwhacker said:Stay safe, Ed!

I knew I should've bought that 500-pound pack of survival crackers!!!!!

gardenfish said:If it had been colder here, air temp and ground temp, we would have at least 4 to 6" of snow on the ground, because it snowed hard from 10:00 am yesterday until at least 8:00 pm with very few breaks. Large flakes at times that looked like feathers. Really pretty, but melted almost as soon as it hit the ground.
I don't think there is any scientific evidence to support the theory that cold weather/snow kills bugs. If that were the case we shouldn't have had any bugs here at all last summer considering the fact that we had 15+ inches of snow on the ground for a week in February, plus temps at freezing or below, and sometimes very much below, for all that week. The bugs were as bad as I've ever seen them last summer, specially bugs that eat my plants.

I tend to agree with the idea that the cold doesn't do much for the bugs. The black flies in the tundra of Alaska/Canada...they drive people and animals crazy with there numbers and bites...

You got that right. If you think the mosquitoes are bad here, just go to Fairbanks for a summer.

I pulled out all of curly kale plants and harvested more greens. Im also pulling the out as I harvested them.
Here is what I made, a kale, banana, apple, and Meiwa kumquat smoothie.

Intheswamp said:

From one freezing Southerner to another: PSHAW! No National Guard call-up here! And it's still snowing here! This is as much as I can open my door, even kicking it:


views from my cracked open front door:
out that door, down the ramp, to my truck on the inclined driveway. . . then to the neighborhood private street (its there, underneath the sniw). . until finally onto the county-maintained back street


Neighbors



It'll be at least 2 more days until I can get out.

I would lose my ever lovin' mind!

Ed: Just a note of appreciation for taking the snow. I fussed last summer because you stripped the cloud of rain before it got Here, but I do appreciate you hogging all the snow. Just a cool rain here. Carrots, cabbage and collards love it.

Looked like you were right in the sweet spot Dil with nasty weather to the west, north and east of you.